Machine for cementing shoe uppers



May 22, 1934v c. H. BowLEN 1,959,341

MACHINE FOR CEMENTING SHQE UPPERS Filed May l5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Il A freuen or.

May 22, 1934- c, H. BowLEN 1,959,341

MACHINE FOR CEMENTING SHOE UPPERS Filed May l5. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 22, 1934 UNITED STATES MACHINE FOR CEMENTING SHOE UPPERS Carlos H. Bowlen, Haverhill, Mass., assignor to Irving L. Keith,

Haverhill, Mass.

Application May 15, 1931, Serial No. 537,528

3 Claims.

This invention relates to certain improvements in means and methods of adhesively connecting the linings of shoe uppers to certain portions of the upper leather in connection with the manufacture of shoes of certain types.

In the manufacture of shoes for women it is customary to produce various ornamental effects by cutting out apertures of various designs in the shoe upper, so as to expose the stocking thru these apertures, these apertures being commonly termed cut-outs.

In preparing the upper ready for lasting when these cut outs are to be formed therein, the following operations are performed. The lining is stitched to the upper leather in the usual manner, so that it'lies flat against the inner side, thereon. The portions of the contacting surfaces in which the cut outs are to be formed are then cemented together and the cut out apertures are formed in these cemented portions by means of dies, or other suitable means and then the upper and lining are stitched together about each aperture. Y

This operation, while simple, presents various difficulties. In many instances the cut outs are formed in somewhat elongated portions which are sewed together along two side edges and an end edge, producing a bag-like formation, so that the surface to b-e cemented is partly enclosed by stitched edges. Prior to my invention the cementing operation has been performed by means of a brush, which, after having been dipped in rubber cement, is inserted between the upper and lining portions which are partly enclosed by stitches. This method has been found tobe unsatisfactory and unreliable for the reason that, on account of their inaccessibility, all of the surface portions which should be cemented together, frequently are not, and, where the cut out portions are so arranged that narrow strips of leather and lining are formed between the apertures, when the stitching operation is'performed, the lining strips are liable to slip to one side of the leather strips directly thereover, so that, after this operation has been performed, it will be found that the lining does not register with the leather at all points and, as a result portions of the lining will be visible thru the openings in the leather, making necessary an extra operation, to remove the projecting lining portion by cutting it away.

Also, in performing the cementing operation in this manner, the cement is frequently applied to portions which then adhere and `rnust be separated before the lasting operation can be performed, as the lining must be free from the upper adjacent the edge portions which are lasted in, during the lasting operation. As surfaces which g have been adhesively connected by rubber cement may usually be separated, and for other reasons,

it has been considered unpractical to use any other form of adhesive than rubber cement when employing the brush method Yfor the purpose above referred to.

The objects of my invention are to provide means and methods of operation whereby astrong quick setting adhesive may be applied to the entire portion of the surface of the upper or lining which must be adhesively connected one to the other preparatory to the formation of the cutout apertures therein, so that the .possibility of displacement of the lining before it has been stitched to the leather about the apertures therein will be prevented and the liability of having substantial portions of the surfaces adhesively connected, which it is not desired to connect, will be avoided. Also to provide means and methods which will enable the cementing operation above referred to, to be more rapidly performed, and performed at less expense as compared with the brush method previously employed.

I accomplish these objects by employment of the means and methods hereinafter described and as illustrated in the accompanying draw-ings, in which:

Fig. 1 is av plan View of an apparatus embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof at line 2.-2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail bottom plan views of different forms of adhesive applyingA devices which I employ.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View on line 5-5 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a detail plan ViewV illustrating the manner of using said adhesive applying devices.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of a portion of a shoe upper illustrating the character of work operated on under some conditions.

In Figs. 1 and 2` of the drawings a cementing machine is illustrated of the type in which a horizontally disposed grid 10, having parallel bars 11, is arranged to be raised andlowered in a liquid cement-containing receptacle 12, so that the grid will be first submerged and then raised above the liquid level, leaving a coating of cement on the top faces of the grid, said faces being disposed inl the same horizontal plane surface. While various known types of cement applying bars may be employed in thisy connection, the zig-zag type indicated is considered preferable, a grid of this type being disclosed in the patent to Smith 1,288,247 dated December 17th 1918.

According to my present invention a bracket arm l4is rigidly mounted on the frame of the machine in the rear of the receptacle 12, or at the opposite side thereof from that at which the operatcr usually stands, said bracket being extended vertically and then horizontally over the grid at about the level to which the grid is usually lifted. An adhesive applying device, which consists of a flat metal plate 15, is removably secured to the under side of the horizontally extending portion of the bracket arm by any convenient means, as by the screws 16. The form of the plate 1,5 will be Varied according to requirements of the work to be operated on, but the under side thereof will, in all instances, be disposed in a horizontal plane, or in a plane exactly parallel to the plane of the top, or cement carrying surface of the grid bars 11, the arrangement being such that, when the grid is lifted, its cement carrying surface will be engaged with the under surface of the plate 15, so that a substantial portion of the adhesive which was on the top surface of the grid portion which engages the under surface of the plate 15 will be transferred to the latter. A series of parallel grooves 17 are formed in the under surface of the plate 15 and extend from one longitudinal edge to the other thereof, in directions approximately perpendicularly to the bars of the grid.

Two forms of said cement applying plates are shown as illustrative, the plate 15 shown in Fig. 3 having a V-shaped end portion, and parallel side edges, and the plate 15 shown in Fig. 4 being of oblong form and having rounded corners.

Assuming for illustration that the shoe upper parts to be operated on are of the shape shown in outline in Fig. 7, in which a part a., known as a quarter, has an oblong tongue portion b, in which a series of cut outs are to be formed, and in which all of the edges of the piece except the lower edge c, which is to be secured to the shoe bottom, has been stitched to the lining, a plate 15', of the form shown in Fig. 4 will be employed, and the operation will be as follows:

The grid will be lifted so that zig zag stripes of adhesive will be applied to the under side of the plate 15 or 15 at'all portions thereof with which the bars of the grid come in contact and then the grid will'be permitted to sink back into its receptacle. The operator then separates the lining from the upper at the unstitched edge and f slides the upper onto the plate, while holding its inner side down on the top side of the bracket arm 14 and the top side of the plate, until the front edge of the plate becomes nearly engaged with the bottom, or end seam of the tongue portion b. This may easily be done Without having the under side of the plate touch the lining to a substantial extent, or at least until the upper has been drawn onto the plate nearly to the fullest extent possible. Then the operator presses the lining d by hand up against the under side of the plate, as shown in Fig. 5, and then pulls the upper from the plate for a short distance while thus held, so that the surface of the tongue portion of the lining will be coated with adhesive and then, when it has been completely Withdrawn from the plate, the adhesively coated surface will be pressed against the surface of the upper leather, so that they Will be adhesively connected.

While the zig zag bars do not apply the adhesive to the entire surface of the flat face on the under side of the plate 15 or l5 which is employed, they apply it to about one-half of this surface in zig zag stripes which extend transversely of the grooves 1'7 therein, or the flat faced ribs which are formed on the under side of the plate by said grooves, so that, as the lining is drawn in contact with the surfaces of these ribs, the zig zag stripes of adhesive will be spread over the entire surface of the lining, while it is held against and slid in contact with these ribs. At the same time the grooves 17 will become lled with the adhesive and cause it to be distributed over the surface of the lining much more uniformly than would be the case if the surface was plane or ungrooved.

By suitably shaping the plate 15 for the particular Work to be operated on, the adhesive may be applied to the surfaces which must be adhesively connected without applying it to any considerable portion of the adjacent surfaces and particularly to surfaces adjacent the edge portions, which are to be attached to the shoe botl tom. When the cut out is to be formed in a more pointed section of the upper a cement applying plate having a pointed end portion similar to that shown in Fig. 3 will be employed. In practice four or five differently shaped plates will ordinarily be sufficient for the average factory, but they will obviously be varied according to requirements.

I claim:

l. An apparatus for adhesively connecting a portion of the contacting surfaces of two pieces of sheet material arranged one on the other with their edges connected partly about such portion, comprising a fixed arm having a projecting end portion, a plate of rigid material adapted for insertion between said surface portions of the material and having a fiat face on one side thereof, said plate being mounted on the end portion of said arm with said face exposed, and an Vadhesive carrier arranged for movement from an adhesive receiving position `into contact with said face, to apply adhesive thereto and to be returned to said position, to permit said material to be placed on said plate with its face in contact with the surface portion of one of the pieces of material.

2. An apparatus for the purpose described comprisinga fixed arm having a projecting end portion, an elongated suitably shaped plate of rigid material having a transversely grooved, flat face on one side thereof and mounted on the end portionof said arm with said face exposed, an adhesive carrier arranged for movement from an adhesive receiving position into contact With said face, to apply liquid adhesive thereto, and to be returned to said position, whereby sheet material may be moved slidably transversely of said grooves while held in contact with said face to applying a uniform coating of adhesive thereto.

3. An apparatus for the purpose described comprising a liquid adhesive containing receptacle having a vertically movable grid therein, said lgrid comprising a series suitably spaced parallel bars having their top sides disposed in a horizontal plane, an arm mounted at one side of said receptacle and having its end portion extending over said grid, and a plate of rigid material mounted on said arm end portion and having a flat face disposed horizontally on its under side in position to be engaged by the top side of said grid bars when raised from said receptacle, said face having a series of grooves therein extending transversely of said bars.

CARLOS H. BOWLEN. 

